Appreciated For Being Me
by Infinite Snow
Summary: Even though the whole world will never understand who Hinamori Amu is, that's okay. A certain alley cat loves her for being herself. [Amuto]


Amu sighed as she put her hand on her palm. She was just sitting at her desk, waiting for everyone to leave. It was a part of her 'personality' to not mix with anybody.

Because that's who she is.

"Look who's skipping class. Our little pinkie," Ikuto mused, sitting on a window sill as if it were a seat.

"What are you doing here?" Amu asked, as she stylishly flipped her satchel over her shoulder and walked towards the cat boy.

"What are you doing here after the bell has rung?" Ikuto asked.

"I think I should have my question answered," Amu snipped.

"If you must know, I am spying on you," Ikuto smirked, "You're welcome."

"You're hilarious," Amu sighed as she walked towards the door, not even making the cat boy get down from the window.

"I try," Ikuto grinned.

"So?" Ikuto asked.

"It's a part of my act," Amu sighed, as she focused her view forward.

"Why do you still do it?" Ikuto asked.

"Because that is the way they like me," Amu whispered.

"Who is they?" Ikuto asked, but his question was soon answered as a trio of Amu's classmates were whispering excitedly about some cute stuff.

"And then, I heard that the new shop near the supermarket opened!" A girl squealed.

"They have all the cutest stuff and adorable stationary! I want to go!" The second girl smiled.

"We should go tomorrow, I think it is open," the third girl tapped her chin.

"I have some money so I think it is do-able," the first girl grinned.

"Eto… what about Hinamori-san? She seems pretty cool, maybe she might like to come with us! I have been meaning to ask her on a play date of some sort!" The second girl squealed.

Ikuto smugly smirked at Amu as if it were case closed. But Amu solemnly looked forward. This wasn't the end of it. Ikuto frowned and followed suit.

The other two girls were looking at the second girl as if she grew a second head or as if she asked a death sentence.

"You know we can't," the third girl finally retorted, "Hinamori-san is cool and spicy. She is our idol. She has lots of things to worry about than a play date with us. And besides, cute and adorable things do not fit into her personality."

"I guess you're right…" the girl hung her head as the three of them walked away.

"And there you have it," Amu whispered as she walked away from Ikuto.

The vague chatter throbbed through Ikuto's head. He never really thought that Amu was this lonely.

-x-

"Meeting is over," Kairi proclaimed for the evening. All the guardians had dramatically groaned in relief and stretched to emphasize the point.

"You guys are silly," Nagihiko made a 'tsk' sound with his tongue.

"Why? You want more paperwork?" Rima looked at her boyfriend as if he was a masochist.

"We had to sort out all of the dreams of the first grade students," Amu sighed, rubbing her temple, "It was a lot of work."

"Yaya wants chocolate!" Yaya declared randomly.

"I-I could go get you some, if you like," Kairi shyly offered. Amu slyly grinned. Except for her, they were the other two who weren't an official couple.

"Eh? But Yaya doesn't know which one…"

"There's a new candy store down the block. I am sure your boyfriend will get you something," Amu grinned slightly.

Eventually everyone cleared except for Amu and Tadase. Amu checked her charas in her pouch and decided to call it a day and get home to do her homework for the next day.

Just as she was about to leave, she was called back.

"Hinamori-san?"

Shit. It had to be him, why of all the people? The superficial boy who couldn't see all of her was probably the most dumbest of all.

"Yes, Hotori-san?" Amu answered, evenly, turning around with a neutral look on her face.

Tadase shivered as he wasn't greeted informally in a cute manner by Amu any more. Not that he made any real efforts to call her by her first name anyways. Even if he did, it was probably short lived.

"I wanted to say sorry for hurting you," Tadase said.

"You hurt me so many times. Be specific," Amu scoffed in annoyance, annoyed that the idiot had to open her old wounds.

"I am sorry for saying I was in love with Amulet Heart," Tadase said remorsefully.

Amu would have melted at the lost look sparkling in the boy's eyes. She would have cried at the tears rolling down his cheeks. She would have a change of heart at his weak state.

But she knew those tears were crocodile tears. She knew his whole whimpering and tender stuff was just an act to be showered with affection and BE APOLOGIZED to. She knew that sparkle in his eyes was as fake as glitter.

As fake as the love he had given her.

"It's not your fault for being so dumb," Amu sighed, "I should have known that someone as stupid as you wouldn't learn to appreciate people for who they are on the inside, not who they hope to be in the future. And personally, any girl you do marry might be even more miserable than me."

With that, the pinkette left him in a state of shock and young childish heartbreak.

-x-

"I'm sorry that I didn't know," a voice suddenly said on her right.

Amu looked and saw the alley cat, head lowered, hands in pocket.

"It's all right," Amu whispered, the harsh wind whipping her hair in all directions, "No one knew."

It was then that Ikuto realized she was beautiful. Her vulnerable self was shown for ten seconds before being guarded again with Cool and freakin' Spicy.

"You know, you can't hide it from me," Ikuto whispered.

Amu whipped her head towards Ikuto. Hide what?

"Your true self. Your moment of letting it down. I can see what you really are under this whole façade of being strong," Ikuto spoke.

"What do you see?" Amu asked.

"A vulnerable, cute girl. A girl afraid of letting others down. A girl who puts others in front of her. A girl who pleases everyone except herself. A girl who hides her pain just to make others happy," Ikuto whispered, "A girl who is in reality, just a normal girl. No superhero, no toughness. Just a normal, beautiful girl."

Amu just stared at the cat boy. Wind whipping their hair in haphazard styles. But their eyes never left each other.

"When did you become so preachy?" Amu smirked.

"A little bird taught me how," Ikuto flashed a cocky grin.

Amu socked Ikuto in the shoulder lightly and an amused smile arose to her pink lips as she laughed, "Oh? So I am not a bird now? Last week I was nicknamed a kitten."

"You're so complex. You can never have just one nickname," Ikuto smirked, riling up another conversation or rather an argument on their way home, filled with playful shoves and lots of laughter.

-x-

"Hey Amu?" Rima asked one day when the two laid down on the grass in one of the school's many gardens.

"Yeah?"

"You seem happier now," Rima murmured, "Something happen? Or a rather someone?"

Amu's cheeks tinted a light pink and Rima caught on fast.

"So you do like him," Rima mused.

"I do not like Hotori. He is so fake," Amu retorted.

"Yeah, I can see that too. I meant that cat boy. What was his name again?" Rima purposefully forgot his name just to make Amu say it. But Amu didn't care.

"His name is Ikuto."

"His name rolls off your tongue nicely," Rima laid her head on the soft grass.

"I bet."

"I also bet you two would make a nice couple," Rima slyly added her two cents.

"I don't know."

"Why would you say that?"

"I don't know if he even sees me that way," Amu gazed at the puffy clouds and swore she saw one shaped like a kitty cat head.

"I am sure you need to ask him. The guy that is right for you might purposefully hide his feelings just for you to be happy," Rima suggested.

"How do you know?" Amu asked.

"He considers your happiness over his. If he thinks you do not love him, then he will repress it, and boy it must be painful to do so," Rima thoughtfully said.

"But why would he even repress his feelings?" Amu asked.

"He thinks that you like Tadase."

"Why would I love that fake-o?" Amu retorted.

"I don't know, but you sure did have a huge crush on him in the past, remember?" Rima reminded Amu.

"Yeah, I know. It wasn't even a crush," Amu sighed, "It was a huge infatuation. Which faded after I saw his true colors."

"Well, tell that to your lover boy," Rima said, "Or you may lose him forever."

Amu turned to her stoic friend and shot her a real smile. Out of their quiet yet loyal friendship, few smiles were shared.

"Thanks," Amu whispered, "I will."

-x-

"H-Hinamori-san?" Tadase stuttered.

Amu stopped walking in the hallway and sighed irritably. She forgot about him. She forced a polite smile, and turned around.

"Yes?"

"I might have broken your heart, so would you like to go on a date with me this afternoon?" Tadase gained some confidence when he saw Amu's fake smile.

"You really think I would be heartbroken over you?" Amu scoffed, her smile dropping, "You are indeed one of the most artificial guys I have ever met. Why would I cry over you?"

"B-But I s-said…"

"Yeah, you did say you liked Amulet Heart. You said it in my face the very first time you confessed. But you didn't break my heart. You only showed me the true colors of your nature. You're superficial, dull and boring. You saved me from heartbreak, from all the pain you would have caused me. It was a slap in the face by reality, but it saved me from further trouble you could have caused me," Amu glared at Tadase.

Then she turned her back on him.

Before leaving, without facing him, Amu whispered, "There is only one person who loved me for who I was on the inside. I think I will go confess to him."

With that, Amu walked off. No questions had to be asked on who this 'one person' was. A certain alley cat was known for spending lots of free time with the pinkette, even more than her parents.

-x-

Walking to the front gate, Amu felt a rush of happiness wash over her. She felt like celebrating.

It was a weekend, so maybe she and Ikuto could do something fun for Friday afternoon or something.

"Took you long enough," a voice whispered in her ear.

Amu jumped back just to see the alley cat leaning on the gate post, checking his nails which in his case would be claws.

"How long were you waiting here?" Amu asked.

"Five minutes," Ikuto said as if it were a big deal.

Amu rolled her eyes and socked him in the shoulder, saying, "You haven't waited that long then."

"Where are you going?" Ikuto asked.

"I was thinking we could go to the park and walk around, unless that amusement park got its electricity back," Amu said hopefully.

"Sorry, it didn't. But we could always go to our special place," Ikuto grinned, not mischievously this time, which kind of shocked Amu.

"Sounds like a plan," Amu smiled as the both of them went to the park.

-x-

After making a couple of laps around in the park, the both of them went to the amusement park, and sat down in their favorite pink and yellow tea cup, the one where Amu had made fun of Ikuto for being 'too big' for such a childish ride.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Ikuto cut off one of Amu's funny jokes.

Amu froze, then pushed her strawberry hair back. Looking at her folded hands, she murmured, "Yeah, something is."

"What is it?" Ikuto asked, "It can't be that bad. And we both know I am the perverted one, so it can't be that disturbing as well."

Amu was also shocked at Ikuto's straightforwardness when he accepted he was a bit of a pervert around her. Which made her confused why he was less teasing today. Maybe he was keeping in mind she felt a little uneasy about her thoughts?

"I love you," Amu blurted out, making Ikuto freeze.

_Perfect, Amu, you are on the right path to ruin your friendship. Just keep doing what you are doing._

Amu ignored her inner thoughts and kept talking.

"All my life, it is all admiration of this façade I pull off. The tough me. In reality I am tender and girly and someone who likes all cute stuff, but no one would have been able to accept that side of me. All except you. You made me comfortable around you and when you are around I could let all my frustration out of the impossible world. You always listened. You always told me what was best for me. You always admired me for being myself, not acting like my Cool 'n' Spicy self or one of my would be self. You always encouraged me to be myself and that is all you wanted," Amu finished, "That is why I love you."

Ikuto couldn't move. His body wouldn't move, actually.

He was supposed to confess first. He never knew that Amu would somehow come to her senses and confess first! He thought he would have to wait and then tell her what he really felt.

Amu watched his facial expression and the conflicting emotions in his eyes and really felt guilty. She ended a perfect friendship.

"I best be going," Amu said quietly, in order to prevent crying and looking like a fool to anyone who could happen to see them.

Before she could even step out of the teacup, she was pulled down into Ikuto's lap. Looking up, confused, she saw something trail down his face, in tiny streams.

"Ikuto… are you crying?" Amu murmured.

She was engulfed in a hug and she saw nothing but fluffs of navy blue tickle her face and cloud her vision.

"You have no idea how long I waited to hear that," Ikuto whispered, "You may not have known, but I fell in love with you the moment you fell on top of me, in that construction pit by accident."

"Sometimes, I wonder, what would have happened if it didn't happen," Amu whispered.

"I would have died. I was committing suicide. You know, waiting for all that dirt to be dumped right back in and crush the air out of my lungs. Be buried alive," Ikuto whispered, "Easter caused so much damage, that I wanted to end all my pain. But you stopped it."

"Easter's gone, you don't have to worry about suffering now."

"I know, because I have my pink haired angel to help me get through the hardships," Ikuto whispered, hugging Amu closer to his body.

-x-

A/N: I don't know if you guys like it if I end the story with 'fin' or 'finalmente' anymore for my one shots. It sounds like another cheesy way to say "Happily Ever After" and I hate that ending. It is highly unrealistic and life is not a fairy tale.

I have to come up with something to end my one shots, because I sure don't like to do crash landings. Oh well. :P


End file.
